Wheeled tumbling toy



June 4, 1957 T. A. ROBERTSON WHEEL-ED TUMBLING TOY Filed March 23, 1956INVEN-TOR msooons A. ROBE/7 TSOIV BVWMMWMW ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent.

WHEELED TUMBLING TOY Theodore A. Robertson, Chicago, 111.

Application March 23, 1956, Serial No. 573,436 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-201)This invention relates to wheeled toys, and in particular to wheeledtoys capable of unique tumbling or rocking movement, and concomitantself propulsion on a level surface.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a novel wheeled toyconstructed and designed, when positioned endwise on a level surface andreleased, to rock or rotate through an angle of approximately 270 to anupright position on its wheels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wheeled toy adapted torock with an irregular movement onto its wheels, terminating themovement with a residual inertia force effective to drive the toy on itswheels in forward direction. 7

Another object is to provide a distinctive action toy for use by andentertainment of young children. Related objects are the provision of asimple and durable toy, inexpensively manufactured and assembled. Otherobjects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention and the novel features thereof may best be made clear fromthe following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

'Figure l is a side elevational view of an exemplary embodiment of theinvention;

Figure 2 is a diagram sequentially illustrating positions occupied bythe toy in the'initial portion of its rocking operation;

Figure 3 is a diagram sequentially illustrating positions occupied bythe toy in the final portion of its rocking operation, and

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of Figure l, onreduced scale.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the inventioncomprises a generally oval shaped body member 10, which may beconstructed of wood, plastic, metal or the like. The side surfaces 12 ofthe body member may be planar and parallel, and the edge or peripheralsurface 14 is desirably of appreciable width, as seen in Figure 4, andnormal to the side surfaces. The body member may conveniently be sawed,for example, from a wood board, and if made from plastic or metal asuitable casting or forming operation may be employed.

Cylindrical elements or pegs 16, preferably made of wood, are arrangedat the front and rear of the body member 10 and at right angles to thesides 12 thereof (Fig. 4). These pegs 16 may conveniently be mounted inand extend through holes suitably formed in the body member and a wheel20 is attached to the end of each peg. A small, slender object, such asa nail, may be inserted into a central aperture in each wheel 20 andthen driven into the end of peg 16 for attaching the wheels thereto, thenails thus acting as an axle and hearing surface for the wheels. Thewheels 20 may be made entirely of rubber or a similar material or theymay include a central hub of a rigid material having a rubber PatentedJune 4, 1957 'ice tire thereon. The purpose of having rubber or asimilar resilient material on the ground engaging surface of the wheelswill become apparent as the description proceeds. It will be noted thatthe pegs 16 extend laterally of the body member sides 12 a relativelylarge distance, so that when the wheels 20 are mounted thereon, thebodymember will be stable in an upright position and therefore may beinexpensively made quite thin as shown in Figure 4, with little dangerof tipping or turning over due to lateral forces.

The body member 10 may be appropriately decorated or brightly paintedand marked with indicia 22, 24, 26, 28 to simulate a racing car or thelike.

The peripheral surface 14 of the body member 10 includes a lower portion30 and a convex upper portion 32 merging into arcuate front and rearportions 34, 36 respectively. The lower portion 30 may be flat while theupper portion 32 preferably comprises an apex or summit 38 disposedrearwardly of the longitudinal midpoint of the body member. The apex 38is the highest point on the vehicle when mounted upright on a levelsurface. The arcuate front and rear portions 34, 36 are prefer-ablycircular, with the radius of curvature of the front portion smaller thanthat of the rear portion.

It should be observed that the center of gravity of the body member 10is located at a greater distance from the lower portion 30 of thesurface 14 than the axes of the front and rear wheels 20.

In operation of the toy vehicle, the body member is positioned on itsfront end in approximately vertical position on a level surface with thesides 12 perpendicular to this surface, as illustrated by position A ofFigure 2. The rear end of the body member may be held by the fingers toretain the toy in this position. To initiate the rocking movement of thetoy, the body member is released or it may be slightly tilted or pushedforward in the direction of the arrow adjacent position A in Figure 2.In any event, the weight of the body member, acting through its centerof gravity, will cause the toy, when released, to rock or rotate throughon the front portion 34 and convex upper portion 32 to the rear portion36, as indicated by positions B, C, D, E and F and in the direction ofthe arrows of Figure 2. In falling from position A to position D,wherein the apex 38 engages the level surface, the body member acquiresan angular momentum which is sufiicient to continue the rocking of thebody member to position F. At this point the body member has rocked orrotated rapidly through 180 and the angular momentum having beensomewhat decreased in the movement of the toy from position D toposition F causes a slower rocking of the toy on the rear portion 35than on the front and convex portions 34, 32. The momentum, however, isstill suflicient to rock the body member slowly on the rear portion 36and rear wheels 20 to the positions G and H of Figure 3, whereat therocking movement terminates with the toy in upright position on thelevel surface. At this point, the residual angular momentum in the toywill be effective to drive or propel the body member on the wheels inthe direction of the arrow 40 in Figure 3. If desired, an impactreleasable spring motor (not shown) may be drivingly connected to thefront or rear wheels 20 so that when the wheels strike the level surfaceat the end of the rocking movement, the impact will release the motor todrive the toy forwardly at a greater speed and for a longer distancethan that produced by the angular momentum alone.

It will thus be seen that the front, rear and convex portions of thebody member surface 14 permit said member to rock smoothly through 270,from an endwise position to an upright position. Moreover, when the toyhas rocked through approximately 180", the rocking movement is sloweddown considerably, giving an eyecatching and unique delayed action tothe final 90 rocking movement. In this regard, the toy gives theappearance of terminating its forward rocking-movement 'after ithas-covered 180; and then reversingits movement.

the front wheels 20 strike the level surface with an impact which ispartially absorbed by the rubber in the wheels. This impact absorptionenables the transition between the rocking movement and straight linemoveand s disposed that they do not come into contact with the levelsurface until after the front of the body member has begun movingdownwardly from position F to position G. If the diameter of these rearwheels were too large, they would contact the level surface prema- Asthe toy rocks through the final positions G and H,

position.

turely and tend to prevent or impede the final 90 rocking movement ofthe toy. Obviously, the toy may be used as a simple push or a pull toy,if desired.

While a single, preferred embodiment of my invention has been shown anddescribed herein, it will be understood that the toy, rather thanrepresenting a vehicle, may be constructed to represent animals, boatsor any other desired object. Additionally, the body member 10 may beother than rectangular shape in transverse crosssection, and the uppersurface of the body member need not be smoothly curved, as shown, butmay include sharp changes in contour providing the general outline ofthe surface is convex in a manner similar to that described. Otherchanges in the size, shape and arrangement of the portions ofgenerallyarcuate outline, said rear portion having a greater radius ofcurvature than said front portion and extending higher above a levelsurface than said front portion when the toy is upright on the levelsurface, said arcuate rear portion curving forwardly at its base to aposition adjacent the axis of rotation of the rear wheels, and saidcurved upper surface having an apex disposed at the highest point onsaid toy above the level surface whereby the toy is rockable on saidupper surface from the front to the rear thereof and thence to anupright 2. The toy defined in claim 1, wherein the apex of the curvedupper surface is disposed rearwardly of the longi tudinal mid-point ofthe body member.

3. The toy defined in claim 2 wherein the front and rear arcuatesections comprise circular arcs.

4. An ambulant toy comprising a body member provided with front and rearwheels journalled thereto and adapted to roll on a level surface: saidmember having a convex upper cylindrical surface thereon, said surfacebeing uninterrupted in outline and extending 'longitudinallyfrom thefront of'said member to the rear thereof, the front and rear of saidsurface being defined by circular arcuate portions, and an apex on saidsurface disposed at the highest point on said toy when mounted uprighton a level surface, said apex being disposed rearwardly of thelongitudinal mid-point of said member.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 wherein the front arcuate portionhas a smaller radius of curvature than said rear arcuate portion.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 wherein the radius of curvature ofthe rear wheels is approximately onebody member and wheels may beresorted to without departing from the scope and spirit of the presentinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An ambulant toy comprising a body member provided with front and rearwheels journalled thereto and adapted to roll on a level'surface: saidmember having a curved upper surface of generally convex outline andterminating at the front and rear of said member in half that of therear arcuate portion, and further wherein the rear portion curvesforwardly at its base'to a position below and adjacent the axis ofrotation of the rearwheels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS HarrisDec. 8, 1925 1,586,608 Carver June 1,1926 1,937,162 Parrish Nov. 28,1933' 2,035,081 Lower Mar. 24, 1936 2,137,357 Schmid Nov. 22, 19382,510,310

Francis June 6, 0

